Optometric apparatus



Jan. 4, 1938. w. B. BLEE ET AL OPTOMETRIC APPARATUS Filed May 5, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 4, 1938. w. B. BLEE ET AL OPTOMETRIC APPARATUS Fil ed May 5, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 B ATTORNEY NdF r Patented Jan. 4, 1938 l 2,104,552

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OPTOMETRIC APPARATUS Willis B. Blee, Rockville Centre, and Benjamin W. Kelly, New York, N. Y.

Application May 5, 1936, Serial No. 77,908

8 Claims. (01. 8820) This invention relates toimprovements in opilar hood II for the use of the optometrist. The tometric apparatus and. has particular reference hood II is connected to the box by a sleeve [2 to an apparatus providing for direct observation so that the optometrist may move his head about of the muscular movements of the eyes of a perwhile observing the patient. The box is provided son having defective eye sight or other eye trouwith a centrally disposed supporting partition ble. Certain defects of the human eye may be I3. Located immediately behind the front wall cured or corrected by diagnosis prescribing' cerand suitably secured to the partition l3 there is tain muscular exercises. These. are carried out located an eye observation unit [4 which is in with the assistance of an apparatus whereby the the form of a box having a front plate I5 of patients eyesare exercised or trained with the translucent material and a rear wall I6 which 10 further assistance of suitable charts'or targets maybe of any non-transparent material. The which may be stereoscopic pictures for instance. unit forms two eye openings l8, It! the walls of It is of course of immense importance'that the which are of non-transparent material. The eye optometrist or eye doctor be able to observe openings extend clear through the unit. Within directly whether the patient is following the preeach eye opening there is supported a corneal 15 scribed eye exercises, not only by observing the reflection tube l9. The front plate 8 of the box patients eyes while such exercises are carried has an opening so that the patient may look out but for the further purpose of observing the directly through the hood Ill into and through effect of any certain prescribed practice so that the eye openings. The hood l0 may be a part of corrections or further diagnosis may be made. the eye observation unit and extend through the 20 It is also of importance that theoptometrist or opening 2|], or the hood may otherwise be mounteye doctor he provided with means for adjusted in fixed or detachable relation.

ing the apparatus to suit any particular case. The interior of the eye observation unit is The object of this invention is to provide an illuminated by one or more small electric lamps optometric apparatus arranged and designed to 2|. Each corneal tube is lighted by an electric A25 enable a person with defective eye sight or other lamp 22. A transparent mirror 23 is adjusteye trouble to practice such exercises as" may be ably mounted in optical alinement with'each eye prescribed by an optometrist or eye doctorwho opening I8. The reflecting surface 24 of the at the same time and unseen by such person is mirror faces the eye opening. 25, 25 denote other able to directly observe the eyes of the patient. reflecting mirrors adjustably mounted at each 30 Another object of the invention is to provide end of the box in optical reflecting alinement such an optometric apparatus with certain conwith the transparent mirrors 23. Means are trolling and adjusting sub-mechanisms as will provided for adjusting the pupillary distance bepermit or afford the necessary opportunity for tween the corneal reflection tubes and their an- 5 adjusting the apparatus to the patients case. gular position within the eye openings. Means 5 Accordingly the invention is embodied in an are also provided for adjusting the positions of optometric apparatus arranged and designed as the mirrors 23 and 25. These adjusting mechhereinafter set forth and as illustrated in the anisms may be of any convenient type and only accompanying drawings in which examples are indicated in the drawings.

40 ,Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the apparatus. Figure 5 illustrates diagrammatically a mech-. 40

Fig. 2 is a front'view of the apparatus with anism for adjusting the corneal tubes. In this the front cover removed. instance each tube is carried by a support 30 Fig. 3 is a top view with the top removed. adapted to slide in guides 3| in a tiltable base 4 is a Sectional View On line F E- 32. Each support 30 has a rack engaged by right 5 ure 2. a and left hand screws 34 respectively as shown.

Fig. 5 illustrates a certain adjusting mecha- The screws are carried by a shaft 35 which is .nism, rotated by gears 36, operable from a shaft 31 Fig, 6 is a wiring diagram. which extends outside the box and carries a knob The apparatus is in the form of an oblong rec- 3B for handy manipulation by the doctor. The

., tangularly shaped box I having a front wall 8 supporting base 32 is pivoted in bearings 40, 40 50 and a rear wall 9. The front wall carries a hood secured to the back of the tube unit and which in for .the patient to look into and rest his head may be tilted by means of levers 4| and 42 in against, said hood being shaped in the usual an obvious manner. The lever 42 extends outmanner to completelyshut off outside light from side the box for convenient manipulation by the 5, the patients eyes. The rear wall carries a simdoctor.

' reflecting mirrors 25 are mounted on shafts 52 which have segmental racks 53 engageable by a right and .a left hand screw 54, 55 carried by a shaft 56 operable from a shaft 51 which extends outside the box. Outside the box on the top thereof the shafts 45 and 52 may carry pointers 60 moving over scale plates 6|, Fig. l, to show at a glance the positions of the mirrors. 8i) indicates openings for the mirrors 2.5.

Figure 6 is a Wiring diagram showing separate controls for the two sets of lamps 2| and 22. Separate rheostat controls 64 and 65 areprovided to adjust the degree of illumination. Of course the wiring system will be complete with a transformer or other devices known to the electric art for properly connecting and regulating the current from the usual supply. Such devices are not shown as they form no part of this invvention. It should be noted however, that the rheostats are adjustable from the outside of the box by means of knobs 66, Fig. 1. All the shafts and levers which extend outside the box and which are to be operated by the optometrist will preferably be provided with pointers 68 moving over suitable indicating scales 69 as indicated in through the eye openings.

patient will see the reflected pictures or charts Figure 1.

In operation the patient sits in front of the box 1 and puts the face against the hood I0 looking directly into the transparent mirrors In the mirrors the 10 as will be understood. The doctor sits behind the box and looks into the hood H through an opening 12 in the rear wall and directly through the transparent mirrors into the eye openings where he sees the eyes of the patient. The current having been turned on, the light from the lamps 2i will shine through the translucent plate I5 and the eye of the patient will therefore be illuminated. The light from the lamps 22 in the corneal tubes will shine directly through said tubes into the eyes of the patient to show the corneal reflection. The optometrist or eye doctor is thus able to observe directly the movements of the patients eyes and the patient is not embarrassed or disturbed by looking into the face of the optometrist. Both sets of lamps 2i and 22 may be .used at one time or each set separately by pushing or pulling on the lever 42.

7 knobs or handles are located at the back of the box 1 sov as to be within easy reachof the optometrist or doctor.

The inside of the box will be painted'black and the partition l3 not only serves as a part of the construction but functions as a .dividing member between the fields to be observed by the eyes of the patient in a manner well known in optometry.

The most important feature of this invention 7 resides in the fact that the optometrist or eye doctor is able to observe the patients eyes directly while adjusting the apparatus to suit the case.

The mechanical arrangements illustrated are merely by way of examples. They may be changed in actual manufacturing practice. These and other changes and alterations may be made by persons skilled in such arts and without departing from the principle of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:--

1. An apparatus of the character described comprising a closed box, an observation unit therein having eye openings through which a person may look from the front of the box, a

corneal reflection tube in each of said openings,

a hood in front of the box for enclosing the eyes of a person looking through the eye openings, means for adjusting the interpupillary distance .between :the'corneal tubes to accord with the interpupillary distance of the eyes of the said person, an electric lamp in each of said tubes and an opening in the back of the box for affording natural direct observation of the said persons eyes and the corneal reflexes therein while theperson is looking through the said openings.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising a box, an observation unit therein having eye openings, a corneal reflection tube in;

each of said openings, a hood in front of the box for enclosing the eyes of a person looking through the eye openings, means for adjusting the interpupillary distance between the corneal tubes to accord with the interpupillary distance;

of the eyes of the said person, an electric lamp in each of said tubes, an opening in the back of the box for direct observation of the said persons eyes and the corneal reflexes therein while the person-is looking through the said openings and means for illuminating. the eyes of the said person during the observation.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprisin a box, an observation unit therein in a pai f eye open n s, a o d in o t of the box for enclosing the eyes of a'person looking into the box throughthe openings, a trans a n ec ing mir or in lineme w a opening, a reflecting mirror in optical alinement with each of the transparent mirrors for reflect! in im es of bjects ou side t e x into the same and an opening in the back for observing the eyes of the said person from theback of the said box through the said back opening, the said reflecting mirrors and the eye openings.

4. An apparatus of the character described comprising a box, a hollow observation unit therein having a translucent front plate and a pair of eye openings extending clear through the said unit, an opening in the front of the box through which the said translucent plate and eye openings are visible, a hood for enclosing the eyes of a person looking into the box through the said openings, means for illuminating the interior of the observation unit whereby to cause light to shine through the translucent front plate thereof to illuminate the eyesof the said person, a plurality of reflecting mirrors for observing 7 images of objects outside the box through the said eye openings, means for adjusting the posi; tions of said mirrors and an opening; in the back of the box for directly observing the eyes of the person while he isobserving said outside. objects.

5. An apparatus of the character described comprising a box having a front opening, a transverse partition therein bisecting said opening, an observation unit therein having two eye openings, one on each side of the said partition, a hood in front of the box enclosing the. eyes of a person looking through the .said openings, a

transparent reflecting mirror in optical alinement with each opening, a reflecting mirror in optical alinement with each transparent mirror and an opening in the back of the box bisected by the said partition for directly observing the eyes of the said person while he is looking through the said eye openings.

6. An apparatus of the character described comprising a box, a transverse partition therein, an observation unit therein having an eye opening on each side of the partition, a corneal tube in each eye opening, a hood in front of the box including the said eye openings, a translucent plate in front of the said unit apertured by the said eye openings, electric lamps for illuminating the interior of the box and cause light to shine through said translucent plate into the said hood, other electric lamps for sending light beams through the corneal tubes, mirrors for reflecting outside objects into the eye openings, said mirrors including a pair of transparent mirrors in alinement with each opening, an opening in the back of the box for looking into the said eye openings through the transparent mirrors, said back openings being bisected by the said partition, means for controlling the said lamps, means for adjusting the positions of all of said mirrors and means for adjusting the corneal tubes in two different planes.

'7. An optometric apparatus of the character described comprising a box having a front opening, an observation unit within the box behind said front opening and having two eye openings extending through said unit, a corneal reflection tube in each eye opening, a hood in front of the box surrounding the front opening for enclosing the eyes of a person looking through the said eye openings, an unobstructed opening in the back of the box in alinement with the said front opening, a rear hood enclosing the eyes of a second person looking through the said back opening and into the said eye openings for observing the eyes of the first person and means for adjusting the corneal tubes in two different planes and means interposed between the said front eye openings and the said unobstructed back opening for preventing the said first named person from observing the eyes of the said second named person.

8. An apparatus of the character described comprising a box having an opening in the front and rear walls thereof, a transverse partition bisecting said openings, an observation unit secured to the front wall of the box behind the said front opening and having an eye opening extending clear through said unit on each side of the partition, a corneal tube in each eye opening, a translucent plate forming the front of said observation unit, a hoodin front of the latter, electric lamps in said unit for causing light to shine through the said' translucent plate into the hood, other electric lamps for sending light beams through the corneal tubes, mirrors for reflecting the images of outside objects into the said eye openings, said mirrors including two transparent mirrors in alinement with each opening, means for regulating the said electric lamps, means for adjusting the positions of all of said mirrors and means for adjusting the corneal tubes in two different planes, the said rear opening and transparent mirrors serving as means for affording observation of the eyes of a person looking through the said front hood and eye openings.

WILLIS B. BLEE. BENJAMIN W. KELLY. 

